What Stocktonites Were Doing 98 Years Ago
Matthew McMichael, who lives on the Jim Creek Ranch northeast of Stockton, was severely burned by lightning during the electrical storm on Tuesday evening. Matthew and a brother, Howard, were in the barn and had finished milking the cows and waiting for the storm to subside. He was sitting on a milking stool with his back resting against the wall of the barn. The bolt of lightning struck a few feet above his head, followed a wire over to a nail on which it was attached, then down the side of the building where Matthew was sitting and entered his back. Portions of his body were badly burned. Howard was sitting only a few feet away from his bother, but was not injured outside of being stunned. A cow standing in a stall near Matthew was killed and two others were knocked to the ground. The electrical storm of
Tuesday night proved very disastrous for some of the farmers to the extent of destroying their recently cut wheat. Frank Fitzpatrick, who is on the Jack Dryden farm, north of town, had just completed stacking 55 acres into one stack, lost all when lightning struck and burned the stack. James McCauley on the Bonny Roelf’s place, lost two stacks, and Glen Stice and the Veverka brothers south of Webster, were also losers. It was not learned whether the wheat was covered by insurance. It is a wise thing for the farmer to give protection to his grain and be safe in the end.
Last Thursday morning the little down of Zurich suffered a severe fire that destroyed the business houses on the east side of Main Street. The fire was discovered late Wednesday night in the John Casey Hardware Store and rapidly spread to adjoining buildings on the south. Hard work on the part of the citizens of that lively little town prevented the fire from reaching the lumberyard, which is situated on the south corner of the block. Besides the Casey loss, the Mendenhall Merchandise, a cream station and barber shop were destroyed. The township’s election boxes and booths were stored in the Casey store and were totally destroyed. The loss is estimated around $25,000.00 with some insurance. New and more modern buildings, in all probability, will replace the burned structures.
The barn and office of Dr. A. W. Viers on South Second Street was totally destroyed by fire early Tuesday morning, The fire was under great headway when the alarm was sounded and though the fire boys fought the fire bravely, they were unable to save the building and directed their attention to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby buildings. The loss is a severe one to Dr. Viers. The barn was a good structure, well finished and partitioned into a number of box stalls. His large equipment of surgical appliances and instruments were kept at the barn and all a total loss. Considerable amount of alfalfa, oats and other effects were destroyed besides the great part of the Viers household goods, which were stored in the loft. An old Buick model car stored in the barn, and belonging to the C & D Motor Company was burned. Dr. Viers estimates his loss at $3,000.00 or better with a small amount of insurance. He will probably rebuild.
The officers and various committees of the Rooks County Fair are rapidly getting the program and other features of the big 1924 Fair into shape. This week the Review and Record were informed that they have signed contracts for a number of entertaining free acts and are desirous of obtaining one more act, which will be of a musical nature. The program of free entertainment as signed up includes Marriott’s Mono Troupe featuring sensational novelty acts like the Fearless Rosalie, the dainty aerial gymnast. Then there is Miller’s Society Circus, an entertainment by trained dogs and ponies. Miller is a former Smith Center man. Scott’s Great Shows will be the big thing. They have contracted for over 450 feet of space and is one of the largest amusement companies on the road. They have countless number of various shows, a few of which will be a Ferris Wheel, merry-goround, sawing-the-lady-in-two, great jungle shows, houses of fun, midget shows, trained dogs, boxing and wrestling matches, athletic shows, and a score or more. Plus, the Hillman Stock Company, the same company that played here to full houses each night last year, will be here for the week. Let everybody talk and boost the fair. It is our only entertainment of the year and being a home association it is up to each of us to help swell the attendance each day.
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From The Woodston Argus…..A geologist surveyed the block of oil leases north of town the past week…..The Meyers Grain Company received some wheat from the Meyers farm last Tuesday. It was cut and threshed by a combined header and thresher….Tall Man Brothers are doing some painting and decorating in Osborne this week…… A couple of header/thresher combines arrived here on the morning freight Tuesday. We understand that one of them is for Oscar Vanderlip and that Oscar Grimes gets the other.
